In support of Commissioner Janiece Longoria

On Wednesday morning, Houston City Council will vote on Position 7 at the Houston Port Authority. This is a Council appointment but Mayor Parker and her administration are working District Council Members pretty hard to support the Mayor's preferred candidate. All of the usual political favors are on the table and promises have been made. I'd like to remind everyone that the budget is not being met, the City is discussing lay offs and furloughs, and no one should count on favors when there is no money.

With that said, I am steadfast in my support of Commissioner Janiece Longoria's re-appointment to the Port Authority. She is a great example of Hispanic success and a needed voice for diversity on the Commission. I must stand with my fellow Latina, because if we can't count on each other, who can we count on? Comadres stick together, and that's the way it is.

It is a shame that the Hispanic community allows ourselves to be divided for bogus political arguments on items of such great importance. Mayor Parker may succeed in her efforts to remove Commissioner Longoria, which would be a big political win for her, but it will come at a great loss - for the second time in as many weeks - for the Hispanic community.

Thank you to everyone who has worked so hard to save the Hispanic presence on the Port Commission. We did the right thing and we can only hope that the leadership will stand up for our community at Council on Wednesday.

P.S. If you're looking for the Houston Chronicle article on the agenda item, you won't find it. Written by Jenalia Moreno, it is no longer available online.